Hair-clasp



Jan. 19, 1960 v. J. BLOMME 2,921,589

HAIR-CLASP Filed 001:. 27. 1955 United States Patent HAIR-CLASP VictorJean Blomme, Asnieres, France Application October 27, 1955, Serial No.543,098

Claims priority, application France February 7, 1955 6 Claims. (Cl.13248) This invention relates to hair slides or clasps, moreparticularly of the safety type that arev provided with latching meansfor preventing their dropping off from the user's head when in fastenedcondition.

Conventional safety hair slides of the kind contemplated herein usuallycomprise a pair of inter-pivoted members, one of which may be termed theouter or body member and the other the inner or clasp member, adapted ina closed condition of the hair slide to clamp a strand ofhai'r tightlybetween them. A rotatable latch element is journalled on a pin supportedfrom a pair of lugs connected or integral with the body member adjacentthe end thereof remote from that having the clasp member pivoted to it.This latch element is adapted to be rotated manually to and from alatching position in which it prevents separation between the saidmembers, when the latter have been placed in their closed or fasteningposition.

The actuation of such a latch element is a somewhat inconvenientoperation to perform, especially in moving it to its unlatched positionprior to releasing a strand of hair clasped between the members of thehair-slide. Moreover the presence of the rotatable latch complicates themanufacture and increases the cost of the hair-slide as well as being asource of trouble and premature breakdown.

-It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improvedlatchable hair-slide or -clasp which will be free from the abovedrawbacks. More specific objects include the provision of an improvedsafety hair-slide which is simpler and cheaper to make and easier andmore convenient to manipulate, than conventional devices of comparabletype, and still more specifically the provision of a safety hair-slideor -c1asp in which no special manipulation is required for unlatchingthe slide prior to releasing a strand of hair clasped thereby.

The above and further objects and advantages of the invention, as wellas the various characteristic features thereof, will become apparentfrom the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment of my invention,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are given by way ofexemplification but not of limitation, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a complete hairslide or hair-claspaccording to my invention, in closed or fastened condition;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the spring strip element which forms acomponent thereof;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the hair-slide in open condition, with thespring removed;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the body or top member of the hair-slide,showing the latching jaws in latching position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the jaws in releasingposition and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 relating to a modifiedReferring to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 to 5, my improvedhair-slide assembly comprises a body or outer member 1, which may, asillustrated, be lined externally thereof with a cover-plate 2 made ofsome suitable ornamental material, and an inner clasp mem her 3 havingsecured to one of its ends a transverse pin 4. The pin 4 is journalledwithin spaced bearings 5 obtained by suitably bending and shapingportions of the body member 1. A removable spring member 6 in the formof an arcuate spring strip has one of its ends formed with a pair ofspaced fingers 7 with stop lugs '8 thereon, and its opposite end with asingle finger 9, the said fingers being adapted for engagement with therespective ends of the body member 1, while the mid-portion of the.spring strip 6 is arranged to project through a longitudinal slot formedin the clasp member 3, in the closed condition of the assembly asclearly shown in Fig. 1.

Formed in the body member 1 adjacent the end there.- of remote from thatcarrying the upstanding pivot bearings 5, is a longitudinal slot 10which defines on either side thereof a spaced pair of narrow strips 11and 12 provided by the material of the body member 1. The ends of thesestrips 11 and 12 are integrally formed with a pair of latchingprojections or jaws 13 and 14 respectively, as more clearly shown inFigs. 4 and 5, and with a related pair of pressure lugs or knobs 15 and16 respectively.

The arrangement is such that the latching projections or jaws 1'3 and14, which have the hook-like conformation shown, will be adapted to gripand retain between them the clasp member 3 in the closed position of thehairslide, when the free end of the clasp member 3 is engaged betweenthe jaws 13 and 14 and said jaws are positioned in their normal, closelyspaced position illustrated in Fig, 4. When however pressure is exertedupon the opposite lugs 15 and 16, as by gripping them between the thumband forefinger, the latching jaws 13 and 14 are moved apart from eachother, whereby the end of clasp member 3 is released from between them.

The spring element 6 is provided, at a point intermediate its length,with a pair of transverse projections 17, clearly shown on Fig. 2, whichare adapted to engage under the sides of the clasp member 3 to eitherside of the longitudinal slot therein, in the closed condition of thehair-slide, as shown in Fig. 1. As a result of such engagement, theoutward movement of the latch jaws 13 and 14 upon exertion of inwardpressure on the knobs 15 and 16, as just described above, and theconsequent release of the clasp member 3 from between said latch jaws,causes said clasp member to snap open to the position illustrated inFig. 3, under the action of spring member 6 as a result of theaforementioned cooperation between the projections 17 of said spring andthe sides of the clasp member.

It will thus be appreciated that the safety hair-slide or claspdisclosed herein eliminates the provision of a separate rotatable latchmember as was heretofore required, thereby facilitating the constructionof the slide or clasp. Moreover, operation of the clasp is facilitated,particularly in releasing a strand of hair therefrom, since this merelyrequires applying finger-pressure upon the side knobs 15 and 16 both tounlatch the clasp and to'make it snap to its open condition.Furthermore, according to. the invention, the movement of the latchingparts 13, 14 is produced by a resilient torsional deformation of thestrip portions 11 and 12 of the member 1, rather than by pivotalrotation as in conventional hair-clasp latches, and this also isconducive to increased reliability and prolonged service life.

While in the embodiment above described, the two lat -k g laws 13, and14 were urged by theirv inherent resiliency towards each other in thefastened condition of the clasp to grip a clasp member 3a between them,a reverse arrangement may be used as shown for example in Fig. 6. Inthis construction, it will be seen that the clasp member So has acentral slot 32, and that the jaws 13' and 14 are normally urged towardsa spaced apart condition; and in this condition the clasp member 3a isretained in its closed position by engagementof the slot 32 by theretainer fingers 18 and 19. In other respects the construction andoperation of the system are similar to what was previously described,the clasp being opened by exerting finger pressure upon the knobs 15 and16. This moves the latching jaws 13' and 14 towards each other andreleases the clasp member 3a which is then allowed to snap open underthe action of spring 6.

It will be understood that the constructional details illustrated anddescribed were given in an illustrative sense only and that a variety ofmodifications may be made therein without exceeding the scope of theinvention. Thus the latching jaws 13 and 14 and actuating lugs or knobs15 and 16 may be formed in many difierent ways other than the twospecifically shown; also the spring member 6 as well as other componentsmay be varied as to shape and size to achieve the results of theinvention.

What I claim is:

l. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, a body; clasp means having aslot bounded by edges and being secured to said body for movement to andfrom an operative position; and resilient latching means secured to saidbody and including a pair of movable finger-engaging members and a pairof movable latching jaws respectively connected to said finger-engagingmembers for movement with the respective finger-engaging member, saidlatching jaws passing through said slot of said clasp means in saidoperative position, said latching means tending to assume a normalposition in which said finger-engaging members are spaced from eachother and in which said latching jaws are in a spread latching positionfor releasably engaging said edges of said slot for holding said claspmeans in said operative position, said finger-engaging members beingmanually movable toward each other to move said latching jaws towardeach other, out of said latching position and to a releasing positionreleasing said clasp means.

2. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, a body; clasp means securedto said body for movement to and from an operative position and having apair of edges; and resilient latching means secured to said body andincluding a pair of movable finger-engaging members and a pair ofmovable latching jaws respectively connected to said finger-engagingmembers for movement with the respective finger-engaging member, saidlatching jaws being located adjacent said edges of said clasp means insaid operative position said latching means tending to assume a normalposition in which said finger-engaging members are spaced from eachother and in which said latching jaws are in a latching position forreleasably engaging said edges of said clasp means for holding saidclasp means in said operative position, said finger-engaging membersbeing manually movable toward each other to move said latching jaws awayfrom each other out of said latching position and to a releasingposition releasing said clasp means.

3. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, a body; clasp means securedto said body for movement to and from an operative position and having apair of edges; and resilient latching means secured to said body andincluding a pair of movable finger-engaging members having knobs locatedon opposite sides of said clasp means in said operative position and apair of movable latching jaws respectively connected to saidfinger-engaging members for movement with the respective finger-engagingmember, said latching jaws having inwardly facing hookshaped portionslocated adjacent said edges of said clasp means in said operativeposition said latching means tending to assume a normal position inwhich said fingerengaging members are spaced from each other and inwhich said hook-shaped portions are in a latching position forreleasably engaging said edges of said clasp means for holding saidclasp means in said operative position, said finger-engaging membersbeing manually movable toward each other to move said hookshaped portionaway from each other out of said latching position and to a releasingposition releasing said clasp means.

4. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, a body; elongated clasp meanssecured to said body for movement to and from an operative position; andresilient latching means secured to said body and including a pair ofmovable finger-engaging members located on opposite sides of saidelongated clasp means and a pair of movable latching jaws locatedbetween said finger-engaging members and being respectively connected tosaid fingerengaging members for movement with the respectivefinger-engaging member transversely to said elongated clasp means, saidlatching means resiliently tending to assume a normal position in whichsaid finger-engaging members are spaced from each other and in whichsaid latching jaws are in a latching position for releasably holdingsaid clasp means in said operative position, said finger-engagingmembers being manually movable toward each other to move said latchingjaws out of said latching position and to a releasing position releasingsaid clasp means.

5. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, an elongate body; pivot meanssecured to one end of said body; an elongated clasp member supported atone end thereof on said pivot means for turning movement to and from anoperative position in which the other ends of said body and of saidclasp member are located adjacent each other; and a pair of resilientlatching means secured to the other end of said body, each latchingmeans including a fingerengaging member and a latching member having atrans verse portion inwardly projecting from said fingerengaging membertransversely to said clasp member and a jaw portion located adjacentsaid clasp member in said operative position, said finger-engagingmembers being located opposite each other and on opposite sides of saidclasp member and being movable transversely to the same withsaid-latching members, said pair of latching means tending resilientlyto assume a normal position in which said latching jaws are in alatching position for releasably holding said clasp member in saidoperative position, said finger engaging members being manually movabletoward each other to a less spaced position to move said latching jawsout of said latching position and to a releasing position releasing saidclasp member.

6. A hairclasp comprising, in combination, an elongate body; pivot meanssecured to one end of said body and having a first opening; an elongateclasp member supported at one end thereof on said pivot means forturning movement to and from an operative position in which the otherends of said body and of said clasp member are located adjacent eachother; a pair of resilient latching means secured to the other end ofsaid body, each latching means including a finger-engaging member andalatching member having a transverse portion inwardly projecting fromsaid finger-engaging member transverse to said clasp member and a jawportion located adjacent said clasp member in said .operative position,said transverse portions defining with said body a second opening, saidfingerengaging members being located opposite each other and on oppositesides of said clasp member and being movable transversely to the samewith said latching members, said pair of latching means tendingresiliently to assume a normal position in which said finger-engagingmembers are farther spaced and in which said latching jaws are in alatching position for releasably holding said clasp member in saidoperative position, said finger-engaging members being manually movabletoward each other to a less spaced position to move said latching jawsout of said latching position and to a releasing position releasing saidclasp member; and a curved spring member having one end portiondetachably located in said first opening and the other end portiondetachably located in said second opening and a center portion abuttingsaid clasp member for urging the same out of said operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS810,475 Dover Jan. 23, 1906 921,702 Howe May 18, 1908 1,033,621 SadlerJuly 23, 1912 1,620,894 Jones Mar. 15, 1927

